


In Bocca al Lupo

by Scarlett_Lamour



Series: Howling for You [2]
Category: Red Dead Redemption (Video Games)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Anal Sex, Biting, Double Penetration in Two Holes, I give up, Multi, Oral Sex, Rebel without a Beta, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Sex, smut for days
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-29
Packaged: 2020-05-20 15:08:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,368
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19379203
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scarlett_Lamour/pseuds/Scarlett_Lamour
Summary: Having fled her old life, what changes must Adeline make to keep the life she's made for herself?





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Back at it again with this series, I can't stop writing it.

“Okay, so let me see if I have it right.” Adeline leaned against John's back, her hands wrapped around him. The two were riding on Old Boy, following a trail through an old forest. She had never seen such a forest before, great tall trees the color of rust rose tall like sentries around them. Some were so tall she couldn't see the leaves and some were so wide her, John and Arthur couldn't have reached all the way around. It was cool and damp in the forest, and the further into it the more she was sure a fairy from one of her childhood story books would pop out from behind a moss covered rock. The warmth from his back was welcome to push back the chill around her.

“So, Arthur’s an Alpha and that means...he can go into rut.” John nodded as she spoke, his hand patting hers, still clasped around his waist. He hadn't exactly explained what a rut was but she knew what bucks were like and the idea only worried her a little bit. Once a buck had chased her into the house during mating season, she and her mother had had to wait until it wandered off before the could leave. John hadn't mentioned exactly _when_ an Alpha would go into rut. 

“And...” He pushed for more and Adeline had to think about it for a minute. It was so much information and all so different that she struggled to keep it straight in her head. It felt important though, if she was going back with John and Arthur to the pack, that she know at least a little. It mattered to her that they liked her, a startling revelation. 

“And...that’s why his eyes turn gold sometimes. And he doesn’t have to shift when the moon’s full.” There was more to it but that was all she remembered. 

“Right, and I’m...” His tone was patient though admittedly Adeline’s enthusiasm for learning about her men helped. 

“You’re a Beta, you don’t go into rut, your eyes stay the same color and you have to shift when the moon’s full.” He squeezed her arms tight as she got the answer right. “Is that the only difference?” She sat up straight to look at the back of his head. He took a minute to think things over. 

“Alphas want to be in charge, they got a knack for it. But get two of them together in the same room and they’ll usually end up at each other’s throats.” He chuckled, remember some past incident. It was easy to imagine Arthur at someone's throat. The thought crossed her mind and she was suddenly reminded of two nights ago and the mess they had fled in her town. He'd certainly gotten at someone's throat that night. It made her want to giggle but she swallowed that down. It would be impolite to laugh at the dead. “This one time, this Omega in heat knocked Arthur into a rut and he nearly ripped a door off its hinges after someone called me a raccoon.” His laugh grew a little louder. 

“Omega? There’s another one?” She wanted to groan a little at even more information to remember. John nodded, quieting his laughter. 

“Omegas go into heat twice a year and an Omega in heat will start up an Alpha’s rut every time. Don’t get as big as an Alpha or a Beta but they’ll kill you quicker than either of us and got a _real_ bad temper when they’re in heat. Rare though, don’t often see one on its own.” The way he talked so casually of more dangerous things worried Adeline. It felt a bit like she was going to have to hit the ground running once they got back to the pack.

“Are there any Omega’s in the pack?” She laid her head against his back again as John nodded. The sound of his heartbeat in his chest was steady and comforting. Dusk was falling and it was getting darker quick. Neither of the men seemed to have any trouble seeing their way in the night but Adeline was left near blind once the sun set. Pushing against his back a bit, she shifted on Old Boy's flank. They walked slow but her entire backside ached from two days of hard riding. She was exhausted now, never having ridden before and suddenly doing nothing but riding for hours at a time. 

“Hosea’s wife, Bessie, she’s an Omega. And Miss Grimshaw, but both of them are too old to go into heat anymore. Wouldn't want to get on their bad sides though." He sounded terribly fond of Bessie, she thought and remembered how Arthur had called Hosea his father. A nagging doubt worried the edges of her mind. Would they even want her there? Another horse riding up drew her out of her concern and both riders looked ahead to the blind turn around a massive tree.

Arthur appeared, on his piebald bay, holding a lantern up to fend off the encroaching night. Adeline felt John relax in her arms, happy to see his mate. The word still felt strange in her mouth, but she was trying. 

"Found a cabin up ahead, we can den there." He called out as he rode near. She wondered at his newfound interest in finding a more sophisticated lodging. The previous two nights had been spent in a tent and under the stars, respectively. Perhaps it was the dampness of this new forest. "Tired, Lamb?" He asked, his heavy voice pulling her eyes to his face. She nodded yes, her head sliding back against John's back. "Almost there." He encouraged her, a smile at the corners of his eyes. Turning his horse, he led them through the winding trail that Adeline suspected wasn't more than a deer run until his lantern cast an orange glow on a small cabin. 

It was nestled in between a rock and a fallen tree that was big enough she could have stood up inside the hollow. Moss grew on the roof and down one side. Its clapboards were there same rust colored wood as the trees around it. Adeline thought one tree could have made a whole town of houses. They hitched the horses near the fallen trunk, using it to give the horses a bit of shelter from the elements. Arthur dismounted and moved to help her down, his massive hands closing around her waist. She grimaced as stiff, sore muscles were forced to move but shook it off quickly, hoping neither man would notice. Arthur did, of course, his eyes watching her almost accusingly. 

"You alright?" He asked as they walked into the cabin, John going first and holding the door open. Adeline shook her head, brushing off his concern.

"I'm fine, we've been riding all day. Just a little stiff." She pointedly turned her attention to the inside of the cabin. Part of her wanted to minimize any problems she had, worried they might decide to leave her behind for being too much trouble. The interior was dirty, a fine layer of dust covering everything. Whoever had left had left in a hurry, furniture was overturned and dishes were scattered by the sink in an angry arrangement. A couch, moth eaten upholstery with holes along the seams, was overturned near the fireplace. Opposite the fireplace, a table was shoved up underneath the small window, chairs scattered about. 

John was already moving around, clearing off a spot in front of the fireplace and cleaning out the stone hearth. Arthur set the lantern on a hook by the door and turned back out into the darkening forest. Her own need to busy herself led to the table, trying to clean it off. She went to rub dust off of it and the lace at her cuff caught her eye. She realized she was still wearing the dress she'd worn the night they'd left. Far too fancy for travel it hadn't stood up well, it's skirt was ripped and frey, covered in dirt. It hadn't held up well. Blood was still splattered across the skirt. They hadn't stopped riding until well after dark the past two nights, and exhausted from the hard riding, Adeline had fallen asleep right away, curled up in their arms. Given time to appraise herself she realized she'd have to get new clothing before they went to a town, her appearance now would surely frighten anyone.Oh, if Grace could see her now, the poor woman would have a conniption fit. 

"Addy, what you thinking?" John's voice called her attention and she shook her head to clear the fuzz of tiredness from it. Her hands went to work, gathering up the few broken dishes still on the table and moving them to the mess by the sink. 

"I need a new dress." She paused a moment, trying to find a place in the disaster of dishes on the cabinets to place the china in her hands. "And shoes." Her feet were filthy, dirt caked between the toes from running through the woods. Her soles were well used to walking bare against the ground, it was no pain to be barefoot but it looked bad. "Before we go into a town." She finally gave up and let the dishes crash into the unusable sink. Returning to the table, she bent to pick up chairs and tuck them under the table. "People will notice if I go somewhere looking like this. And this dress isn't serviceable for traveling anyways." Stopping herself, she looked down at the dress again, the light of the lantern catching the dried blood. "And I'm sure the blood looks bad." John gave a small laugh. 

When she looked over at him, he'd gotten their bedrolls spread out. She didn't have her own yet, but it didn't matter. They'd left in such a hurry and high emotion she hadn't grabbed anything, not that there was much left after the fire anyways. Maybe she should have cared about having nothing left of her own, but she didn't. Things had never been important to her. Her eyes slid out the window to the dark night, not even stars were visible beneath the great trees around the. Nothing had ever been important to her, truthfully, until she'd met John and Arthur. Despite losing everything that night, the wanting in her breast was gone. No longer a lingering feeling of discontent, it was replaced with a satisfied fullness. It was relief she'd kill to keep. 

"We can get you a new dress," John said, his eyes trailing down her form to her feet. "And boots." His tone was of mild confusion. As he spoke, Arthur came in, arms full of wood for the fire. 

"What about boots?" He asked as he dumped the wood next to the fireplace. John began stacking the wood in the hearth.

"Addy needs boots." He said as he struck a match and coaxed a flame to life. Arthur tilted his hat back and looked at John in confusion for a moment.

"What do you mean, she needs boots? She's got boots -" The word died in his mouth and the corners dipped down into a frown when he looked back at her. "You don't have any boots." She stood silently beside the table, waiting for them to catch up. 

"It'll look odd if I walk into a town barefoot." She repeated again for Arthur's sake. "People might stare." She added quietly. Arthur held his hand out to her, letting her walk into his arms before squeezing her tightly. The chill of the evening had settled on the outside of his coat. It was a sharp contrast with the warmth she felt through his shirt. 

"There's a town not far from here. We'll den here for a few days. I'll ride in and get you what you need." She inhaled his scent, breathing deeply of his clothing as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"What about your pack? I thought you had to get back." Adeline glanced between him and John. Arthur shook his head, pulling back from her. John was pulling off his boots to set beside the fire before he leaned back on his hands. 

"We do, but we've got something to take care of before we get there." Arthur raised his eyebrow to her. "I need to go get us dinner, we have some things to discuss when I get back." Adeline quirked her mouth a bit, not particularly liking the way he said that. There was a hesitation in his words, as if he were nervous about whatever he needed to discuss. He left quickly and John took her hand, pulling her down to his lap in front of the fire. 

"Have I upset him?" She asked. John laughed, hugging her against his chest. His hands slipped around her waist as his chest pressed to her back. 

"No, but he's right. We do have to talk about things." His lips slipped down against her neck and Adeline relaxed back into him. "And I think we both feel foolish for not realizing you were barefoot." 

"You _are_ foolish." She said, a smile breaking onto her face. John nipped at the sensitive skin under her jaw, sending a shiver down her spine. 

"Oh, we are? We're foolish? You're the foolish girl who didn't say anything about it." He joked, worrying the skin between his teeth and pulling a soft moan from her. Turning in his arms, their lips met for a moment. Desire flared inside her and she clung to John as he sucked bruises onto her neck. Her head was tossed back, eyes closed as her heart pounded against her chest. His hands were pulling at her dress hard enough to stretch the seams but she couldn't find it in her to care. All she wanted was to be closer to him. His teeth dragged against her skin and she let out a hiss, feeling heat building inside her. Something intangible that was dragging her along, making her claw at him as if he could never be close enough. John pulled back, a bit out of breath, when she hissed.

"Are you alright?" He asked, concern tamping down his arousal. She smiled up at him, nodding. Red flushed up his neck and across his nose, his pupils blown wide as he grinned back at her. "Too rough?" The words came in heavy gasps and Adeline shook her head no. Her fingers dug into his shirt, urging him back to her. Relenting to her pressure, he cleaved to her again. This time he focused on her lips, nipping at them until they parted then slipping inside. He kissed her as though he wanted to devour her and she saw no reason to deny him. A leg slid between her, pressing up against her core in a way that made her want more. 

The door to the moss covered cabin creaked open and Arthur walked in, stomping mud from his boots as he closed the door behind him. John and Adeline froze, looking up from the bedrolls. Arthur laughed a bit at them, moving to string up the skinned rabbit he'd brought over the fire. 

"Don't stop on my account." He said as he set the fresh kill to roast. Adeline reached out to grab the back of his coat, tugging him towards them. Arthur turned, moving into her gentle pulling and let his hand slip to John's neck. The younger man shifted to lean into him, their lips meeting. They kissed hard and deep as Adeline looked at them, John leaning one arm over her. At first they had been reluctant to be affectionate in front of her, as if worried she might reject them but they were growing use to her presence. She could never reject them, she knew, even if they weren't sure of it yet. 

"Arthur," She said his name as he moved to nuzzle behind her ear. John's hands were back on her, slipping around her waist as he lipped the crook of her neck. The older man hummed in response. "Why are we here?" Her hands stilled as he met her eyes. The clear blue caught her gaze, intense. John's mouth stilled against her skin. "What do we need to discuss?" He pulled away, looking at the fire beside them. Sometimes it was hard for him to get words out, at least with her. She slid a hand up his arm, encouraging him. Opening up was obviously not something easy for him and Adeline was willing to work with him. 

“We can’t take you back until we’re mated.” The words creaked out, his heavy drawl tight around them. She still wasn't sure what all mating involved but both Arthur and John were very serious about it. 

“Is there a ceremony? Like for a wedding?” She asked, her hand continuing upwards until her palm brushed across the bare skin at his neck. John pressed his face against her shoulder, his lips starting to kiss slowly as she talked. Arthur shook his head, reaching to her hand and holding it against his face. 

“No, well, we have to bite you, but Lamb,” His forehead creased with worry. “There are things you should know before you agree to this. You can still back out.” John groaned into Adeline’s neck.

“Jesus, Arthur, you keep acting like this she’s going to think you don’t want to mate her.” He brushed his hand up her stomach, resting it against her breast. Even clothed, the touch still sent waves of lightning through her. Arthur snarled at John, flashing between annoyed anger and worry fast a slap. 

“There’s hunters that hunt our kind." His eyes returned to hers, worry plain in them. "You join with us and they’ll hunt you too. They won’t care you’re human. And we can’t ever be part of a town, we got the urge to roam and we have to. We’d never settle down, humans want to settle down.” The words spilled out of him and Adeline watched his face in silence, letting him get the bile out. They were reasonable worries, and he’d been stewing in them probably since they’d left her town. No wonder he had so many wrinkles around his eyes. That thought made her smirk and Arthur paused mid complaint, his arguments stolen by her smile. 

“Arthur, I have spent my entire life _alone_ ” As she spoke, her free hand curled up to tangle through John’s hair, his leaving searing kisses along her neck that made her breath hitch. “Surrounded by people and still alone.” John pressed back into her hand. “Then you and John show up and I finally feel like I’m someone sees me. Like I'm not alone. If we have to keep on moving, because your feet won’t stay still, then we’ll keep on moving.” Her hand held against his cheek slipped free of his grip to brush through his hair. It was still in the tight cut fade though stubble was growing on his chin now. “If we have to hide from hunters, then we’ll hide. John’s still alive so it can’t be that hard.” Arthur gave the barest breath of a laugh at her joke and John made an offended noise, pulling his head from her shoulder. Adeline laughed, kissing the tip of his nose before looking back at Arthur. 

“I’m not going back to how I used to be. Damn the consequences.” She said it soft but she meant it. Her chest felt full and a little too tight and the anticipation was building up, pulled too taut. “We’ll just go slow, alright? Deal with problems as they come up.” Blue eyes watched her closely, studying her. He finally gave a sigh, lowering his head to her chest in defeat. Her hands automatically curled into his hair, clutching him close. "Now, explain to me what we need to do. Did you say you have to bite me?" It was a curious idea and she wasn't sure if he meant it literally or not. The entire thing seemed mystical to her.

"Yes, Lamb." Arthur sighed, pulling away from her to sit back on his heels. He looked pointedly at John who gave a small laugh and began unbuttoning his shirt. Adeline swallowed, feeling a bit of heat rise on her cheeks as she blushed. All that time spent wondering what he would look like under his shirt and here he was in front of her, undoing his clothing. 

"You're blushing." John said, playful and light. Hooking a finger into the collar of his shirt, he pulled it to the side far enough for her to see a bite mark, long scarred over. Her hand reached out to run a finger over the smooth skin, hesitating a minute before touching it. Sliding along the scar, her hand wandered with a mind of its own, twinging her fingers through the black hair on his chest. 

"We'd both bite you." Arthur said, pulling her attention once again. He was shedding his own clothes. He shrugged off his coat and tossed it to where he had dumped the saddle bags then began tugging at his neckerchief. 

"It's like a wedding ring..." Adeline mused softly. "Do I need to bite you?" She seriously doubted she would be able to manage a bite hard enough to scar. Arthur paused a moment, thinking. 

"If you want to." He finally said, continuing to undress. 

"If you were wolf, you definitely would, but you're human." John explained. He hadn't meant anything by it, but her brows furrowed for a moment. It would always be like this, if she let it. The realization came to her suddenly. There would always be a 'but you're human' at the end of a sentence. Her throat went dry at the thought, making her swallow hard. 

"I'd like to try." She said with a sharp nod of her head. Arthur was scowling at John a little. "Will it hurt?" The question pulled Arthur's attention back to her and her eyes fell to the scar on his shoulder. The scar looked deep, a clear ring of teeth. John moved closer behind her, his hand tucking a stray hair behind her ear. 

"No, we won't let it." He whispered, a breathy rasp. Arthur stopped unbuttoning his shirt as if had just realized something.

"We have to bite you while we are... in convivial society. " His flustering at such talk was adorable considering he was halfway to undressed already. It was his turn to blush and Adeline smirked at the sight until she registered what he was saying. 

"Wait, at the same time?" That concept didn't seem exactly possible. The few times she'd enjoyed a tryst it had seemed very straight forward with little room for another player on the field. Her forehead wrinkled in confusion. "How?" John chuckled beside her. 

"Do you trust us?" He asked, his hands moving to the buttons up the back of the dress. It was an earnest question and she took the time to give an honest answer. 

"With my life." She finally admitted. Arthur grinned, continuing to pull his shirt free of his pants. 

"We'll make it feel good, but it might be uncomfortable at first." He warned as he slid his suspenders off and shrugged out of the shirt. John finished unbuttoning the dress. His hands slid inside, pulling the dress off. Adeline pulled at the cuffs as John began unlacing her corset. Her eyes drifted over the bite scar on Arthur's shoulder again. He was helping her throw the muddy dress aside before pulling the hooks on her corset undone. 

"You both are surprisingly good with women's underthings." She commented, the thought falling out without her meaning it to. John laughed hard as he pulled the ties for her petticoats. Arthur ran his hands up under her chemise, his thumbs swirling against the soft skin over her ribs, before he pulled it up over her head. Almost instinctively she reached up to cover herself. John still his hands, pulling his attention from her clothing. Running a hand up and down her back a little, he cooed to her as Arthur pulled her against his chest. Her head fit just so right against his shoulder, it was too easy to tuck it underneath his chin. 

"Get the blanket, John." He said quietly a warm hand heavy against her back. An old, worn blanket was wrapped around her shoulders. Arthur caught her lips, his tongue slipping into her mouth and a hand at her jaw line, holding her head still. Arousal coiled in her, soft and edgeless, making her pliant in his hands. Slowly lowering her down to the bedrolls, he pulled back, John replacing him for the moment. Her hands slipped into his messy hair, tugging him against her. Arthur's heavy hand slid down her stomach, tugging her drawers down past her hips. Slipping across the small sensitive nub in her folds, his hand made Adeline jerk, her hips bucking into his hand as she moaned into John's mouth. 

He swirled around it, grazing against it then pulling away. It was driving her mad, him taking his time before slipping a thick finger inside her wet folds. Heady moans were wrought out of her. John's hand slid his hand down to one of her breasts, finding her nipple without trying and rolling it softly then giving a tug. Her back arched up into his touch. She ground down on Arthur's hand again, unable to get enough. When a warm, wet tongue dragged up her slit John swallowed the cry. Arthur moved his hands to hold her legs still against his shoulders as he worked his tongue around her clit. He pushed her close to the edge, need pulling taut inside her, then pulled back. Giving a frustrated groan, she jerked sharply at John's hair. He gave a yelp that dissolved into laughter. 

"She's going to scalp me if you keep teasing her." He joked, pulling her hands free of his hair. Arthur only gave a small smile before shoving him out of the way. Adeline propped herself up on her elbows. Half lidded eyes and pupils blown with lust, she looked up at him. Waiting. With one hand he lined himself up, the other holding himself up beside her head. Leaning in close, their lips connected again as he slowly slid himself into her. It stretched her in a satisfying, aching way that pulled her in several directions at once. Her head arched back at the sensation, pressing her hips towards him to speed up his entry. Arthur grabbed her hip with one hand, holding her still until he bottomed out, pressed close against her mounds. A sigh of relief left him as he lowered his head to kiss her neck. Letting her adjust to the girth, his hips began moving back and forth in slow, lazy strokes that had Adeline whining for more. Letting his full weight fall on her for a moment, he wrapped his arms tightly around her. She relished the crush of his bulk for the moment before he rolled on to his back, pulling her onto his stomach still seated in her. 

He pulled her head down into a kiss as John laid soft kisses between her shoulder blades. His hand slid to her ass, kneading at one side for a minute before a finger pressed against her tight hole. She paused in surprise, Arthur's tongue urging her to keep going. Through the fog of lust clouding her thoughts it clicked into place finally what their intention was. Pulling back, she twisted a bit to look at John in confusion. 

" _That_ works?" She wasn't quite sure she believed that. John nodded, trying not to laugh. "And it feels good?" 

"Oh yeah." Arthur answered this time, mirth in his tone. "Still okay?" He asked her gently. Adeline nodded, taking a minute to adjust to the idea before returning to his lips. His hips canted a bit and he began again with long, lazy thrust going slower than she thought necessary. John waited until she relaxed under his hand before returning his attention to her backside. She nearly jumped when he licked a hot stripe across the tight hole but Arthur's hands held her hips still. It ignited a spark inside her, need spiking sharp inside her. Heady, wanton whines twisted out of her under the attention, feeling nearly overwhelmed from the feeling. A finger, slick with something, slid into her bit by bit, over and over until she felt herself grow loser. More fingers were added until she was sobbing moans and writhing against Arthur's chest. When the fingers left, she felt exposed until John lined himself up and started to push into her slicked hole. Arthur kept a slow, steady pace beneath her. How did he manage the restraint, she wondered. She was ready to rip him apart with her teeth. Her nails dug into his back to express her desire. 

Agonizingly slow, John pushed into her, letting her adjust to the stretch a little at a time. He kept his hands on her hips to keep her from impaling herself too quickly. Every length gained pulled another moan out of her again until he found himself fully seated. Adeline groaned, having never felt so satisfyingly full in her life. Her forehead was pressed tight against Arthur's neck. 

"Feel good, Lamb?" Arthur growled. She nipped at his neck in an imitation of annoyance, making his hips buck into her, forcing a cry out of her. Their movements grew more frantic, both men pistoning into her harder and harder. Inside her, Adeline felt herself approaching the end of her rope, building up to something until she came, stronger than she’d ever felt on her own. Throwing her head back as a cry left her, she felt as though her mind shut off, white light exploding behind her closed eyelids. Together they bit down on either shoulder, hard enough Adeline felt blood spilling down her skin. She knew it should have hurt, but with Arthur’s calloused thumb found its way between their stomachs and swirled around her throbbing clit, pushing her through her climax. The bites were painless. It felt as if something fundamentally shifted. Something just out of reach of her mind that she couldn’t quite grasp. And as pleasure exploded in her core, she didn’t care. 

It took a long while for her to come back to herself, John and Arthur continuing to pumping into her as she felt boneless between them. Her nails dug hard into Arthur’s shoulders, small whimpering cries being forced out of her with every thrust. She felt she could stay in this small space forever if they would only let her. Arthur's hand reached up to cradle the back of her head, pulling her face to his bare shoulder. 

"Bite hard." He commanded her. Driven on by lust it didn't seem so impossible. She bit down as hard as she could, feeling her teeth sink into his flesh. He gave a heavy cry that nearly shook the walls, arching his neck back exposing it to her teeth more. Copper tasting blood burst in her mouth and she arched back, spitting the mouthful to the floorboard without thinking. Arthur's hands tightened at her waist, pulling free of her to spend himself against his stomach and thigh. John's movements had slowed when she bit Arthur. As Arthur pulled free, slipping out from underneath her, John began licking at the bite on one shoulder. 

"Need to roll over." He groaned into her ear, raspy and thick. Pulling free of her, she could feel herself left slack and open without his presence. John rolled her to her back, taking no time to line himself up and sink back into her abused rear. Pulling her legs up over his hips, he leaned in close to her. A toothy grin was clinging to his mouth, returning to her neck with kisses and nips as his hips picked up their pace. Shifting above her, he held his shoulder close enough to grab. Taking the lesson, Adeline threw her teeth into the bony shoulder, biting until she tasted blood. Pulling back, she spit the blood out again too dazed with lust to think much of it. John's head pressed against her cheek hard as he cried out, forced himself out of her to spill against her leg.

Breathing heavy, he turned his face to kiss her cheek before running a hand through her sweaty hair, brushing it out of her face. They gasped for air in time, Adeline giving a small laugh of happiness that John was pulled along with. Too soon he pulled away from her, leaving her exposed to the cold air. He returned quickly, wiping her clean with a piece of cloth that was tossed into the fire. Arthur reached under her shoulders, helping to sit in his lap as he stretched his legs out in front of the hearth. John leaned past her shoulder to kiss Arthur. Their jaws worked as they explored each other’s mouth and Adeline could only sit there, out of breath, and watch. Arousal stirred in her at the sight but she felt drained, all her energy slipped out of her as if she were a sieve. Her limbs felt leadened and fuzzy. Breaking free of the kiss, Arthur turned his head to hers, his gold eyes soft as he looked her face over. 

“You look half asleep already.” He said, laughing to himself as a hand reached up to cradle her head. John moved away and she weakly reached out to keep him close, not enjoying the cold his absence left behind. Her thoughts were sluggish and she could only think of burrowing into their arms and feeling safe. 

"I _am_ half asleep." She mumbled, her arm moving to hold onto him. He bumped her head with his shoulder a couple times to annoy her awake. She grumbled at him, opening her eyes reluctantly to meet his shining gold. They were entrancing, pulling her listen to him. 

"Don't fall asleep yet Lamb, we're not done." He warned her and Adeline picked up her head, looking at him in confusion. John returned to the bed rolls, sitting cross legged holding a plate with a piece of the rabbit steaming in his hands. She shook her head, laughing a little.

"As much as I want to go again, I need a nap first." As she spoke tiredly both men laughed. Arthur reached out and tore a hunk of meat off the roasted leg.

"No, we need to feed you. It's a...ritual." His eyes shot to John for reassure and the slimmer man nodded. 

"Yeah, Addy. If the bites are like wedding rings then the food is...like the vows." John explained, obviously not completely sure himself. Arthur held up the bit of meat. Adeline reached out to take it only for him to pull back.

"Nope." He corrected her. She dropped her hand to her lap and Arthur raised the meat to her lips. She opened her mouth, watching him closely as she took it from his fingers. John watched as she chewed, plucking a small piece off himself and holding it, waiting for her to finish. She took the bite from him, sucking the grease off his fingers, making him smirk at her. As she finished eating it, he held up the plate to her. Her eyes danced between the two for a minute before she sat up straight and ripped off small bites from the leg, offering up the pieces to both of them at the same time. She wanted to say she felt a little silly doing this but the feel of both of them taking the food from her fingers made her blush. The men seemed satisfied with their ritual and Arthur let Adeline sink back against his shoulder. 

Together they laid down on the bedrolls, John sliding against her back, his arms slipped around her waist. Arthur pulled a blanket up. She was asleep before he finished adjusting the cover over her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apparently I'll be making up for lost smut this time around.


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, birdsong pulled her awake to see the glimmer of sunrise peeking through the trees. Behind her, John was pressed tightly against her back, his arms like a vice around her middle. Underneath her head, Arthur snored softly. Their warmth was almost too much but still welcomed. She was sore nearly everywhere, pleasantly so, except for her shoulders that ache. Absentmindedly, she reached up to the tender spot only to force a small cry out of herself along with a hiss as she looked to see dried blood on her shoulder. It hadn't hurt at all last night, amazingly. Underneath her, Arthur stirred, looking up at her, his eyes half lidded. He smiled sleepily for a moment until he followed her gaze to his shoulder. 

"Oh." A frown set on his face briefly before he climbed to his feet, embarrassment flushing his face before he turned away from her.

"Oh." Adeline repeated teasingly, watching him walk naked to where he'd dropped the saddle bags the night before. Her eyes drifted down his backside, taking in the way his muscles moved under the skin. She worried her bottom lip between her teeth absentmindedly, a flicker of arousal in her. He rifled through the bags before motioning her to him. It took a little maneuvering to wriggle free of John's grip, but she managed to do so without waking him. It didn't feel like much of a triumph. John wasn't exactly easy to wake up. 

Arthur picked up an old chair that had been knocked over and righted it, patting it to indicate she should sit. Using a bit of water from the canteen, he wiped her shoulders clean of blood. Long, slow, swipes from a clean cloth grazed gently across the tender skin. In addition to the broken skin, large bruises were forming under the ring of bites on either side. 

"So, we're married now?" Something felt different, but it wasn't as drastic as she had imagined. Arthur sighed and rolled his shoulders before pulling out a small bottle of disinfectant. Not quite annoyed but maybe a little frustrated. 

"We're mated. It's not exactly the same." His hand hovered over her shoulder, afraid to touch the wound knowing it was going to hurt. 

"So I don't take your last name?" She joked, reaching up to wrap her hand around his wrist and bring the soaked cloth to her shoulder. It did make her hiss, even if she tried not to. For a moment she wondered what name she would even take if she did. 

"You can if you want, but that's not part of it." He sighed, moving with fast swipes to clean the bites. His movements still and she felt his thick thumb slid gently across her shoulder. "It's deeper than that, can't you feel it?" Leaning close, he pressed a kiss against her neck. Adeline let her eyes flutter closed as the touch of his lips made her heart beat fast, her hand reaching up to brush through his hair. 

"I feel something, I feel..." She struggled for the right words, but it wasn't a feeling that she had any word for. "I don't know." Some kind of pull towards him and John, the closest word she could think of to describe it was an _instinct_. Faint, weak, but undeniably there. Some kind of nearly tangible connection she couldn't explain but was sure was there.

"Yeah, that's it." He hummed happily in her ear. "Marriage doesn't do that, marriages can break apart. This is forever, Lamb." His thumb again grazed across the welt rising on one side and he gave a small smile, admiring it.

"Do we get a honeymoon?" She smirked, already knowing his answer but enjoying teasing him. 

"Sure, the week it's going to take to get back to the pack." He teased back. She groaned a bit at the reminder. They had ridden hard away from her town, all of them in a big damn hurry and Adeline hadn't ridden a horse more than a handful of times in her life. Her entire backside was still aching and now there was the soreness between her thighs to deal with too. Surely there had to be an easier way to travel. 

"Oh, you'll get used to it Lamb. And then we'll have to get you your own horse." He patted her side before moving to pull his pants on and make coffee. John wasn't allowed to make coffee, apparently. Her eyes looked to his shoulders, surprised to see no wound at all maybe just the barest pinking of a fresh scar.

"Your shoulder..." Her voice drifted out, confused. She'd bit hard enough to taste blood but his shoulder was bare of even a glimmer of a bruise. Arthur glanced back at her, looking at his shoulder and taking a minute to understand.

"Oh, yeah, we heal fast. A good nights rest does wonders for us." He smirked, turning back to the fire."And it was a particularly good night." She blushed at the heat in his words. "Would you like your own horse?" He asked clearly this time. Adeline faltered at the idea. 

"My own horse?" She wasn't sure about that. Old Boy was a sweet creature, but he was so big. Riding behind John seemed hard enough. Arthur gave a breathy laugh before looking at her again.

"Sure! A pretty little pony, saddle and everything. What's a matter? You afraid of horses?" He teased. 

"No. I'm just very distrustful of a beast several times my size who seems to take off running every time the wind changes." She snapped, moving to find where her clothes had been scatter the night before. Even with the fire still going, being naked was too cold to continue. Her drawers had ended up laying across the overturned couch and her chemise was hanging off one of the legs, sticking up into the air like a flag of surrender. "Do you think your pack will like me?" She had a sinking feeling they wouldn't. 

Arthur hissed suddenly, jerking his hand back from the percolator. A burning flash of pain shot through her hand, sharp enough to make her flinch. John jerked from his sleep, rubbing his eyes while sitting up.

"Damnit, Arthur. Be more careful." He mumbled angrily. Adeline looked from her hand to the two men, putting two and two together. Part of her was elated to feel the pain. Whatever the ritual was, something had tied her to the men. Arthur's eyes caught the small smile that tugged itself onto her face as she stared at her palm. 

"Well, that was surprising." She thought about the possibilities of such a connection. John grumbled, reaching for his pants. 

"It gets old when Arthur's _always_ getting hurt." He complained. Arthur handed him a tin cup, steam still rising. 

"Shut up, Marston." Arthur growled before looking back to Adeline. She was shimmying into her corset now, tightening the laces with efficiency. "The pack will love you, once they warm up to the idea of a human. Just... hang close to me or John while they're still getting used to you." She smoothed out fabric as she appraised herself. The qualifier he added didn't make it sound like they would actually love her. Well, she hadn't exactly been popular back in her hometown either, made sense to her. 

"Is it really a week until we get to them?" Ignoring her dirty and torn dress, she sat on the bedrolls to pick at the plate of cold rabbit leftover from last night. Her stomach was complaining about her falling asleep before eating more than a couple of mouthfuls of dinner. A week seemed so long from now and there was a tense excitement of meeting their family. Her new family, she guessed, if they didn't hate her. Arthur poured himself another cup of coffee, crouching beside her. Thinking better of it, he shoved the tin cup into her hand and sat back against the upturned couch with a sigh.

"Maybe not a whole week." He admitted, "If we den here for another day or two it'll take another day or two to get there." She watched him, the cup hot in her hand. Keeping her eyes trained on him, she sipped at the liquid, grimacing at the bitter taste. If this was considered good coffee what was John's coffee like? The horror of that thought sent another grimace to her face before sitting the cup on the stone of the hearth. 

"I'll head into town and get you some proper clothes, some supplies for the ride." John volunteered, buttoning up his shirt and slipping into his vest. The prospect of John leaving the cabin was suddenly overwhelming. As he picked up one of the saddle bags and slung it over his shoulder, Adeline climbed to her feet, reaching out for him. He caught her hands in his and brought them to his lips to kiss. Arthur climbed to his feet noisily, moving to rest a hand on her hip.

"One of us has to go." He said. She knew they had to, of course. Pulling back from John with confusion on her face, mostly at herself, she looked down at her hands as if she could see the connection between them. It was a strange feeling and she had reacted to it without realizing it. She felt ridiculously vulnerable for the moment. 

"I'll get you a pretty dress." John wrapped his hands around her waist, eyeing the spread of his fingers. Pulling back, he held his hands in place, studying the distance. "About that size?" He smirked at her and Adeline gave a halfhearted glare. 

"You're an idiot. A serviceable dress would be better than a pretty one." She said with no malice behind it, fighting at the smile trying to steal its way onto her face. John leaned in and kissed her cheek, letting his hand rest against her jaw a moment.

"I'll be back by sundown." He promised before heading out the door, shrugging his coat on as he left. She gave a small whine as he left. The thud of hoofbeats pounding away was clear and Adeline couldn't deny the longing that went after him.

"You'll get used to it." Arthur said, squeezing her hip before letting go. "Best to try and distract yourself." He walked around her to pick up his gun belt near the bedrolls. Pulling one of his revolvers out, he flicked the barrel open and checked the bullets. "And I've got just the thing." The barrel flipped back into place and his eyes scanned the wreckage near the sink. "Grab a few bottles and meet me outside." Adeline eyed the hand gun as he worked it but listened, gathering an armful of empty bottles that were scattered around the floor before following Arthur out of the cabin.

The damp moss under her feet was cold but she didn't care. Arthur stood next to the fallen tree, smoothing a spot free of debris, taking the bottles and lining up five on the rough bark. With a wave of his arm, he grabbed his horse's reins, moving to hitch it near the door of the cabin. Adeline followed close behind, not liking the idea of shooting a gun too much but Arthur seemed to think it was important. 

"Now, I ain't expecting you to be great at it to start, but you should know the basics at least. If you're running with us." He held the gun out and it was heavy in her hand. She hefted it for a moment, still not sure about it. Arthur's heavy hand laid gentle on her hips and adjusted her stance a little. His other hand slid under her arm that held the gun, raising it up and showing her how to look down the sights. She could feel his breath against her neck and felt her heart race to be so close to him. 

"Take a breath and let it out, before you breathe in again that's when you fire. Squeeze the trigger, don't pull." He pulled his hands back, waiting for her to try. She couldn't hold her arm up long, outstretched like this so she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. When her lungs were empty she pulled back on the trigger and the gun went off, loud and sharp and it jumped in her hand more than she thought it should. Arthur's hand was ready to hold her arm down, letting her take a few breaths. The bottles stared back at her, stubbornly unbroken.

"Good, that was good." His voice crooned in her ear and she relaxed a bit. "Try again." He nudged her arm back up and Adeline shook her shoulders out, aiming again. Letting go of her breath, she braced her arm harder. This time the gun didn't jump nearly as much and a bottle shattered. 

"Hey!" Arthur whooped, obviously pleased. A small amount of pride warmed her chest to see the broken bits fall to the ground. "You're a natural. You'll be a dead eye in no time." She fired four more times, hitting another bottle before she was done. The gun felt less awkward in her hand and she suspected that was all Arthur really wanted. It made sense, surely some situation would arise and she would at least need to be able to handle a firearm competently. When she turned to hand him the gun, his smile broadened until his eyes trailed down to her bare feet. 

"Aren't you cold?" He asked, shrugging out of his coat and wrapping it around her shoulders. She shook her head but took the coat anyways, slipping her arms through the loose sleeves and rubbing her nose against the lining. His scent was strong, worked into the sheepskin by hard days.

"I'll be fine." She said, eyes closed as she inhaled. Arthur chuckled, grabbing her arm to pull her back into the cabin.

"Sure you will, let's at least clean your feet off." He grumbled under his breath as they walked into the cabin, all Adeline could understand were a few insults to intelligence. Setting her by the fire, he picked up a bucket and stepped out of the cabin. She swallowed a small cry of dissent, trying to keep herself in control. Everytime Arthur or John left her sight there was a small feeling of fear that froze her heart for just a second. It was utter nonsense and she chastised herself for being so silly. Moving to sit in one of the chairs by the table, she looked out the window, watching the branches sway in a breeze. Mating appeared to have a more profound effect on her than she had anticipated. Something physically intangible. Arthur was right, it wasn't like a marriage. He walked back in, still grumbling, and set the bucket on the floor by her feet. Water, clear at least, sloshed around as it settled. 

"We feel it too." He said with a sigh, handing her a cloth. Adeline didn't ask him how he knew what she was feeling. She dunked the cloth in the water, finding it ice cold. "I'm surprised it affects you so strongly, since-"

"Since I'm human." There was that phrase again. She was growing rather annoyed by it already and she hadn't even been mated a day. "Well I do. It practically hurts." Her eyes finally cast up as she scrubbed the dirt from her feet. 

"It won't last forever. It's strongest at the beginning." He dragged a chair to sit facing her, looking her over. "Can you feel us?" Leaning forward, curiosity picked at the edges of his face. Adeline stilled her motions, thinking over what he meant exactly before looking up at him in confusion. " _Feel_ us," He took a minute to think about how to explain it. "How we feel? I can practically hear John's thoughts, and if you're so affected by the bond then maybe you can feel _something_." 

Setting the cloth on the edge of the bucket so it wouldn't drip everywhere, Adeline sat up and closed her eyes. Her thoughts turned easily to John, longing for him. She swore if she walked with her eyes closed she'd cut a path straight to him. A bubbling of emotion pushed back against her mind. 

"He's excited?" She asked, unsure of herself. Arthur smiled, his canines showing, nodding his head. The revelation was startling, something as foolish as what she might have read about in her story books as a child. It was a lot to take in. 

"I never expected any of this." She turned her thoughts to Arthur and found worry, needling away like a numb limb coming back to life. Looking at him again, his eyes were watching her closely. 

"We didn't either, truthfully." He admitted, almost sheepish.

"You would have been content to be mated to me without this connection?" She was reevaluating their decision. It seemed more like a leap of faith now and she was all the more thankful for their want of her. 

"Of course." Arthur responded without hesitation, enthusiastically. "Not that I'm not happy with this turn, but yeah, Lamb. Mated to you for the rest of your life, forever as far as we're concerned." Leaning forward, his hand slipped under her bare calf and pulled it into his lap. Grabbing up the wet rag, he began wiping off what little dirt was left. "This is just a bonus."

"Can you feel me?" The water was cold but his hands were warm against her skin, almost too hot. He finished in a moment, throwing the rag into the bucket and pulling her into his lap by the leg.

"Oh yeah," He whispered into her neck. Settling in his lap, a leg on either side, Adeline leaned into his chest, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. His warm hands traveled up her corset, squeezing the sides. "You're practically screaming how you feel," His tongue flicked across her throat, pulling her heart into a racing beat again. Surely all these racing heartbeats would be her death. He groaned as her skin goosebumped under his touch, pressing his nose under her jaw hard. 

"Is this why you wanted to stay here a few days? So I could get used to this?" She asked, her words halting and stuttered as Arthur's hand slid up her back into her hair. His mouth pulling a bruise up along the side of her throat. 

"Yeah, I lied, this is our honeymoon." He grumbled, joking. She laughed softly, a throaty sound that died into a moan as Arthur let go of her head and slipped his hand between her legs. Some part of her wanted to say it wasn't a very nice honeymoon but she argued with herself on that point. She couldn't want anything else.

His calloused thumb rubbed against the nub, making her give a small gasp and grab his shoulders quickly. He chuckled before doing it again, slipping a finger along her dampening slit. If this was what it meant to be mated, she could live with it, happily. Arthur grabbed her around her waist and pushed up onto the table. It rocked a bit with the force of his shove but held under her weight. Slipping his hand to her stomach, he gently pushed her to her back, his head dipping between her thighs. At the first touch of his tongue to her clit, Adeline's hands dug into his hair with a gasp. Arousal coiled tight in her core, spooling into her body. All she could think about was Arthur's tongue, his hands, his hair grasped in her hands. When finger slowly pushed its way between her lips, her hips rocked up into his mouth. On hand squeezed onto her hip, holding her down even as she writhed under his attention. Standing up, he replaced his tongue with his thumb, still working in and out of her. As she moaned, her core winding up, he leaned forward, sliding his hand up her side. He cooed to her, whispering words of praise against her neck as his hand brushed into her hair. 

"I got you, Lamb. Let go." His low drawl slipped into her ear, drowning her in lust as the coil inside her sprang loose and she crashed into her climax with a yell, hands flying to Arthur's biceps. Holding on for dear life, she slowly came down, gasping for air as he pulled his hand free and licked her off his fingers. He gave a quick nuzzle under her jaw before moving to the edge of the table, lining himself up and sliding in slowly. Still a little mindless, she moaned, reaching up for him. As he finished seating himself, he leaned down against her stomach and grabbing up her legs. 

"Hold on tight." The command was what she needed, her arms flying tight across his shoulders. Pulling her with him, he stood up straight, easily holding her in his arms, hands slipped under her thighs as he thrust up into her. With a short step, he slammed her back against the wall. It was a wet sound filling the cabin in accompaniment to their moans and yells. Reaching deep in her, it was almost painfully pleasurable as he found the spot inside her that could wring a sob out of her every time he hit it. Pressed hard against the cabin wall, impaled on his hips, Adeline moaned his name.

"Arthur..." He snarled at the sound of his name on her lips, eyes flashing gold for a second before he pressed under her neck, inhaling her sent and sucking bruises down the side. Her hands curled, nails digging into the skin. His hands dug into her thighs, bruising the flesh as he pulled out, coming on the floor beneath them. They gasped for breath a moment, Adeline leaning against his chest, clinging to him as he carried her back in front of the fire. 

On the bedrolls, Arthur insisted she rest, making her relax back against him. He tugged the old blanket up over them, keeping one arm across her chest. Unused to not being busy, her hands picked at the frilly edging to her chemise. She was mostly content though, Arthur's fingers combing through her hair, untangling it as he went. 

"I read a story once," Her voice broke the comfortable silence as a thought occurred to her and Arthur hummed behind her. "About men who could turn into wolves." His hands stilled on her head. 

"What did they say?" He clearly already knew. 

"They were monsters, ate babies, attacked travelers. They could turn others into monsters like them with a bite." Her fingers drifted to her sore shoulders. "Am I going to be like you now?" It wasn't the worst fate, she thought for a moment. Arthur wrapped his arms around her chest, kissing her neck softly.

"No, Lamb. A bite won't turn you." There was a chuckle under his words. 

"I suppose you don't even eat babies. You are a _terrible_ monster." She joked, wrapping her fingers around his wrists. Arthur laughed at her words and she enjoyed the rumble against her back. "So then, what are you?"

"In this deep and you only think to ask that now? Foolish woman." His mouth pressed against her neck again, a wet kiss left like a brand on the skin. 

"No more foolish than the both of you." She argued. Heaving his shoulders, he squeezed her tightly. 

"The way I heard it, the first of us was just a wolf, who fell in love with a human. They would follow the human, just out of sight, watching as the human struggled to survive, wanting to help them, entranced by their beauty and gentle nature. One day, the wolf had had enough and begged the moon to make them human to be with their love. The moon took pity on the wolf and made them human. And when they had offspring they were as we are now, able to take both forms but swayed by the moon."

"That's a better story, I think." Adeline said, pulling his hand up to kiss the back of it for a second.


	3. Chapter 3

The sun was starting to set, flames of the dying light dancing through the trees. Adeline found herself pacing by the front door, glancing out occasionally. John still wasn't back and as the light outside faded, she grumbled to herself softly, brows creased in concern. Arthur sat by the table in a chair, cleaning his guns in a lazy way. He looked up a couple of times until he gave a sigh and set his rifle down on the table. 

"Lamb, you're going to wear a hole in the floor." Pulling his hat off, he brushed out his hair before setting the hat on the table next to his rifle. 

"He said he'd be back by now." She crossed her arms, scowling at Arthur for not being more worried. A thousand things could have happened to stall him and the only ones she could think of were bad. Arthur's hands reached out, pulling against her stubborn will until she was between his legs. 

"What is John feeling right now?" He asked plainly. Adeline hummed in aggravation and closed her eyes, feeling John far off. A crinkly feeling of annoyance was faint but there. She gave a sigh. 

"He's annoyed." She admitted, understanding what Arthur was leading her to.

"Right, he ain't in trouble, just inconvenienced. We'd know if he was in trouble, Lamb. Maybe the town was a little further than I thought it was, maybe he got caught up drinking and now it's too late to be on the road. It happens." Arthur held her waist, looking up at her. "We're big furry wolves, we can take care of ourselves."

"I'm not completely sure of that." She narrowed her eyes at him, remember the first time she'd seen him. "I had to sew your leg up the first time I met you." 

"Oh, I was careless with a bear. It wasn't nothing." Arthur shrugged off her complaint. "Tell you what, If he's not back by tomorrow morning, we'll go ride into town and get him. Probably meet him halfway there." He offered her a compromise and Adeline took a breath before nodding in acceptance. It wasn't what she wanted, but she recognized how silly she was being. 

He wasn't back by the time the sun rose in the forest. Worry woke Adeline up before Arthur, pulling on her near ruined dress and packing up what little things they had. He finally woke up when she threw his coat at him and began tugging bedrolls out from under him. 

"Get up, we're going. Something's off. He's _still_ annoyed? No, we need to get to him." Her words were turning almost frantic. "I need to get to him." As much as she disliked feeling out of control of her emotions, there was no way to tamp the worry down. Arthur grumbled a bit before sighing and reaching for his shirt. "I'm sorry, I just," She struggled to find the right words to explain herself as she clutched at her chest, feeling her heart pounding in her chest. 

"No, I know." He waved off her apology, trying to sound understanding. "I know." As he finished buttoning up his shirt, he pulled on his suspenders and grabbed at his hat. "Go put what you've packed on Buckshot, I'll get the rest." Taking a deep breath and feeling a little better, she stepped outside into the brisk chill of morning and throwing the saddlebag over the stallion's flank. Arthur came out of the cabin, shrugging into his coat before setting a cigarette between his lips and lighting it.

"I guess I forget how you're not used to this." He shook the match out and tossed it as he took a long drag. "The connection. It was overwhelming at first. Takes a little time to get used to it." Taking his time blowing the billowing smoke skyward, he set the cigarette back between his lips and motioned to the saddle.

"You're driving today. Come on, no mate of mine is going to be a bad rider." Reaching out, he took her hands and showed her how to hold onto the saddle. "Set your foot in the stirrup and pull yourself up." Taking a breath, she hauled herself into the saddle, taking a moment to adjust in the seat. Arthur stepped close, adjusting the stirrups to hit her feet right. 

"Arthur," She scowled at the reins he put into her hands. 

"I'm going to be sitting right behind you, now. No need to be complaining to me just yet." He climbed up behind her with less difficulty than she had sitting in the saddle proper. "Now, Buckshot's a real good listener, just gotta lay the reins against his neck to get him to turn how you want so keep some good slack in them." He covered her hand with his, showing her which direction to turn. "Give a squeeze with your heels to get him to go..." When the horse started walking, he pulled back, letting his arms fall around her waist. "Good, Lamb."

She didn't need Arthur to tell he where to go, she only had to follow the pull inside her. With each step towards John her worry softened a bit. Out along the trail, Arthur encouraged her to pick up the pace, showing her how to keep her seat better. Once he was satisfied, he dismounted and was wolf before he hit the ground. Adeline shook her head a bit in surprise, Arthur grinning up at her. He handed her his clothes that had fallen to the ground, fingers blunt and clumsy with the fabric. She stuffed them into the saddle bags and urged Buckshot on. Arthur ranged ahead of her as she went along, riding a little faster than she was comfortable with.

It was silent, Arthur obviously close by but she couldn't see him. She rode, focusing on her posture like Arthur showed her and keeping the horse on the trail. For a time her loped beside her, an easy pace that ate up the ground like he'd never get tired. 

_Go faster!_ He barked at her. Startled, she pulled the horse up sharp, the creature giving a complaining whinny and stomping its foot in protest. He hadn't _said_ anything, but she'd understood the meaning. Looking down at him, her eyes narrowed. 

"Do that again." She asked, studying his face. 

_You're surprised?_ He cocked his head to the side and sat on his haunches, looking at her. His mouth hadn't moved, he hadn't even barked this time but she knew what he meant as clearly as if he'd said it. Shaking her head and letting the confusion go, she patted Buckshot's shoulder as an apology before continue on the trail. 

"I suppose I shouldn't be, but I feel a little left out not know what all we can do now. Anything else I should know?" Arthur trotted only on all fours beside the horse.

_Don't know. You're human. Unsure._

"Right." She nodded, annoyed more than anything. Not exactly at Arthur or John but the situation. One more thing to think about, though it did explain how John and him seemed able to communicate without words a lot of the time. At his urging once again, she nudged Buckshot into a heavy lope along the trail, the horse's long legs eating up the dirt. 

It was well past noon by the time the town came into sight. Nestled in a hollow beside a stream that cut through the mountainside, it was a small place. On the crest of a hill, Adeline pulled the horse to a stop, surveying the place. Arthur was dressing behind her, tying his boots on.

"It is further away than I thought it was." He admitted finally, adjusting his hat as he rested a hand against Buckshot's shoulder. She shook her head, that wasn't it. John was annoyed and angry now. He shouldn't even still be in the town. "We'll check the saloon." Arthur started walking back towards the trail that cut through the grass into town. Adeline took a deep breath and followed behind, her brows refusing to relax. 

"Arthur," She asked softly, knowing he could hear her by the way his head tilted a bit. "what if he couldn't leave for some reason?" 

"I don't know, Lamb. Maybe." He sounded unconcerned. "If that's the case then we can help him. He probably needs help." It was a joke, but Adeline didn't laugh. They passed the stagecoach near the post office, Arthur keeping his head down as her eyes were drawn to a few wanted posters nailed to the outside of the building. Worry was settled firmly in her chest and nothing she told herself could shake it. Something was _wrong_. 

"Let's get you some boots, I'm sure Marston hasn't yet." Arthur cleared his throat as they neared the general store. He was worried now too, something she'd missed had spooked him. Sliding clumsily off the tall horse, she stumbled a bit to keep her foot and he grabbed her head, pulling her with him into the store. The way his shoulders tensed tight, like he'd need to throw a punch at any moment, made Adeline give a resigned sigh. Things couldn't just be easy, could they? She slipped her hand into his, giving it a squeeze. 

Her eyes trailed along the food supplies while Arthur asked about boots from the clerk. Some salted venison would keep for a while, she thought, trying to appear calm in spite of her pounding heart. Her attention was pulled away when Arthur shoved boots into her arms. 

"Put them on." He said gruffly without looking at her. His eyes were watching the front of the store, looking outside. She tried to see what he was looking at but it was hard to tell, maybe he wasn't looking at anything in particular, just wary. Stooping to put them on, she was surprised he'd picked out a reasonable size. They weren't very fancy shoes, she was almost certain they were actual men's, but they were sturdy and fit well enough. 

She stomped her feet against the floorboard, getting a feel for the shoes for a minute before Arthur grabbed her hand and pulled her out of the store. He paused at the entrance, looking one way and Adeline was finally able to see he was watching a man and a dog walk down the street. Arthur switched which hand was holding hers, keeping himself between her and the man. Once the man and his hound had vanished around a corner, he dragged her along, towards the saloon. 

"Arthur." He was strung tight and flinched when she said his name. She didn't want to push him but not telling her anything at all wasn't reasonable either. 

"Shh." It was a snap, brisk and angry. Maybe not at her, but she didn't like it. Just outside of the saloon she jerked her hand out of his and glared when he turned to look at her. 

"Talk to me." She hissed. She couldn't help if he wouldn't tell her what was wrong. 

"Give me a minute." He asked, eyes still jumping around the streets behind them. "Hunters." She nodded in acceptance, that was all she wanted, a little bit of an explanation. Arthur grabbed up her hand again and stepped into the saloon. With the flick of a finger, he tossed a coin to the bartender, renting one of the rooms upstairs. Inside the room, Arthur threw the lock and looked out the windows as if expecting an attack at any minute. He drew the shades before pulling his pistols out and examining them. 

"Arthur," Her voice was soft, she understood his apprehension a little better now. 

"I know why he didn't leave. Hunters are everywhere, got damn dogs too." He wasn't looking up at her, his attention still on asses his weapons. "Got him pinned down somewhere." A sigh left his shoulders as he reholstered his guns and looked to Adeline. "I'm sorry."

"Shut up." The regret in his apology was too much for her, she couldn't accept it. "So, we got to find where he's pinned down, distract the hunters enough that he can get free and we make a run for it." Her mind turned over as she walked through what they needed to do. Arthur looked away at her chastisement, the brim of his hat dipping over his eyes.

"Yeah, just about." A sad smile played at his lips, the only reaction she could see. It did seem a little hopeless but she felt it wasn't impossible.

"I'll go." She said, the words slipping quickly out. Arthur's head snapped up, eyes hardened but she wasn't going to let him say no. It made the most sense and when she met his gaze she knew he agreed, he just didn't like it.

"I can find him, they don't know me. If their dogs can scent a wolf, they won't scent me. It makes the most sense." Her head nodded as she talked, convincing herself more than Arthur. She walked past him, his hand trailing along her waist desperate for the comfort of her touch, as she leaned forward to peer out of the window. Her finger pulled the blinds back a hair to give her a sliver of daylight outside. "Give me something that has your scent on it, I can draw them away from John." It wasn't a big town, not more than a handful of streets. If they could get out of it they could flee to safety, surely. Arthur gave a growl behind her. Dropping the shade, she turned to see him with the most sour look on his face. Her hand slid across his chest, tugging his neckerchief loose. It slipped around his neck, falling into her hands before she shoved it down into one of her pockets. 

"You helped me fight my demon. Now I'm going to help you fight yours." She whispered. Arthur wasn't looking at her, anger clear in his stance. Probably not at her, but the situation, she hoped. Resting her forehead against his chest, she hoped her idea wasn't stupid. His hands raised to grab her arms, looking her in the eye with enough intensity to bring a blush to her cheeks.

"Don't do anything that puts yourself in danger. John wouldn't want that." He relaxed his hands with a sigh, his eyes softened a bit. Adeline stood on her toes to kiss him. Just a quick peck before she turned away, not entirely trusting herself. Taking a deep breath, she left the rented room. Following the pull of John.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next couple of chapters are on the short side. Apologies.

Her feet took her to the edge of town, near a small farmhouse. It was a cozy little home, reminding her a bit of her old home. Behind the building, as he feet continued to carry her on, was a small fence and shed. Spotted pigs snorted and snuffled at a recently filled feed trough. It smelled a good bit, even before she got close to it. Her eyes landed easily on the shed and she _knew_ that was where John was. 

Had he hold up in a pig sty? As she neared the small shed and fence it seemed a reasonably smart idea, if he had to make it on short notice. The dogs probably wouldn't scent him over the smell of pig shit and no sane man would look too closely. She held her hem up a bit as she stepped closer, leaning her back against the wall of the shed as if she was just resting for a moment. 

"Are you in there, Idiot?" She said, trying hard to look like she wasn't talking at all. Her eyes lazily looked out over the nearby tree line. No one was watching but it was better to be careful right now. 

"Addy," His voice was a raspy whisper. "You weren't supposed to come here." 

"You think I'm going to let you get picked up by some damn werewolf hunters?" She snarled, glaring through the wood to where she imagined he was crouched. "God, you really are dense sometimes. Listen, I'm gonna draw their attention to the other side of town. Arthur's in a room over the hotel. Give me five minutes to get them out of your way and meet up with him. Don’t draw attention to yourself." She heard him hit the wall inside the shed in response. 

"No! You'll get-"

"I'm human, remember? I won't get picked up." She felt exposed. Someone was going to notice her talking to herself and ask questions. "Just do what I say." It came out an angry hiss and she walked off. God she hoped he actually listened to her. She'd say her odds were probably fifty/fifty. 

Before she stepped out on the main road, she pulled Arthur's neckerchief out of her pocket and tied it around her ankle. As she looked to the saloon she started walking in the opposite direction, rubbing her ankle against a fence post as she went. The train station was in sight, a few blocks away. Hurrying her step up but staying just slower than an actual run, she continued to take small pauses to rub her ankle against fences, posts and bushes. In such a hurry she nearly kicked the hitching post outside of the building. Behind her, she could hear a hound call out a bay. It made her breath catch up in her chest, but she slipped inside the double doors of the train station, letting them swing shut behind her. 

"Train's about to leave, Miss." The clerk behind the counter called out. He sounded friendly enough. 

"Just wanted to see it off." She waved her hand without looking at him, stepping across the lobby quickly and out onto the platform. A quick head turn to make sure no one was watching and she bent to rip the cloth from her ankle, making sure to rub it against a cargo box on the platform before tying it around the railing of the step of the passenger car. The train gave a loud whistle and a conductor called out a last boarding. With a huff and hiss, the train slowly started taking off, chugging off at too slow a pace to make her feel comfortable. Adeline gave a small wave, for appearances sake, before walking off the side of the platform and taking a different road back than the way she'd come. As she was walking away, she saw a small group of men chasing after a bloodhound making a beeline for the train station.

The walk back to the saloon was hard, with her heart stalled in her chest and her lungs refusing to work. Her hands twisted up the fabric of her skirt, trying to keep herself at least appearing calm. Inside the saloon, it was noisy and smelled like stale beer. No one cast her much of a look as she skipped up the stairs back to the room Arthur had rented. When she slipped into the room, Arthur and John froze. Arthur had John pinned up against the wall opposite the door. She wasn't sure if he'd been kissing him or yelling at him, probably both. 

"Glad it worked." She said, waiting for either of them to move before taking a deep breath. Her hands were still clenched in her skirt as tense as her jaw. "I don't think it will work again. They probably aren't that stupid." Her throat felt too dry and she swallowed, something catching halfway down in an uncomfortable way. 

"We can just wait them out." John suggested, slipping out Arthur's hands. Arthur seemed to realize he was still holding John against the wall and let go of his shirt. 

"Is that what you were trying to do? Where were you hiding? A pile of pig shit?" Arthur scowled, scoffing in derision. 

"It would have worked. They'll find us up here if we wait too long!" John yelled back. Adeline gave a groan in her throat and took a quick step forward, jerking John but his shirt collar. 

"You couldn't have hidden in a pig stye until they left. And you," Her head turned to Arthur, glaring. "I know you're worried, but that doesn't mean you get to pick on him right now. Save it for later." She kissed his cheek before letting go of John's shirt. Walking to the window and glanced through the shade, she saw a Hunter walk by with a bloodhound, the two patrolling. The Hunter had a shotgun in the crook of his elbow, menacing in a casual way that said he was a professional. 

"They caught me by surprise." John admitted. "I didn't exactly have a wide variety of choices." He dumped the saddle bag he was still carrying on his shoulder. "Most of my weapons are still on Old Boy, I couldn't very well shoot my way out of there." His eyes flitted to Adeline and then back to the saddlebags he'd dropped to the floor. "I did get you a dress, though." A glimmer of a smile played at his face. Her jaw relaxed a bit as she looked over her shoulder at him.

"Well, let's see it then." She finally said, not wanting to admit to herself that she was a tiny bit eager to have a new dress, especially one from John. Arthur softened as she spoke, sitting down on the bed and running his hands through his hair, scratching at the back of his head. John reached into one side of the saddle bag, pulling out a wrapped, brown paper package and handing it to Adeline. Her fingers crinkled the paper a bit as she looked down at it. Unwrapping it carefully, a light blue fabric broken up by small white polka dots unfolded in her hands. She held it up, looking it over before moving to stand in front of the mirror in the corner. John reached into the bag again, pulling out an envelope. 

"I got a letter saying the pack had moved camp. Sent word to the post office." He held up a letter. "Packs close, real close."

"How close?" Arthur asked. Adeline stalled her motions, listening without looking back. 

"Less than a day's ride. Real close. If we draw them towards the pack..." John handed the letter to Arthur who tore it from the opened envelope and angled it at the sliver of sunlight slipping through the shades. He didn't finish his sentence. They all knew it wasn’t an option they could entertain. 

"We'll have to get them to move out when we get back. Hunters this close is dangerous." Arthur mused, mostly to himself. He looked over his shoulder to Adeline, as if suddenly realizing she was just standing there.

"Well put it on, we want to see how you look in something that doesn't look like you crawled out of a grave." He attempted a smile. She scowled but still quickly changed into the dress John had gotten her. It seemed John, despite his joking, had gotten a dress that fit her well. Finishing buttoning up the front, she looked at herself with a sigh. It was nice to be in clean clothes again. While she appraised herself in the mirror, Arthur looked out the window of the room. John had actually done a decent job of picking a dress she liked. The color was bit flashier than she would have picked but it was without frills. He stepped closer, looking at her in the mirror. 

"Not too pretty?" John asked, smirking. Adeline gave a short nod. 

"Decently serviceable. But the color..." She looked down at the skirt again, not really minding it but wanting to complain anyways. If she could complain about the color of her dress she could pretend things weren't as bad as they were.

"You look nice in the color." He argued back, humoring her. 

"It'll show dirt." Her fingers rolled the fabric a bit, the color was lovely really. The more she looked at it, the more she liked it. 

"So don't get dirty." John shot back, laughing. He stepped close, wrapping his hands around her waist. "Yeah, just like I remembered." She swatted his hands away and looked to Arthur. 

"What are you thinking?" She asked. He'd been sitting in silence for a bit, looking off. When she spoke to him, it took Arthur a minute to look over. 

"You look good in that color." He said, absentmindedly. Adeline groaned in annoyance. 

"Yes, please mention the color of the damn dress one more time, see what I do." She growled. "What about the Hunters?" Her voice lowered into an angry hiss. Arthur shook his head. 

"They'll probably be more careful after that little stunt you pulled." He finally said with a sigh. "If we could time their patrols, know where they are, maybe we could slip out but," He shook his head, raising his hands up in defeat. 

"Easy enough, I'll go walk the town and-"

"No," Arthur stood up, shaking his head. "You're not going back out there again, if they catch you they'll-"

"They won't do a thing. As you've mentioned several times already, I'm human, not a wolf.” Arthur’s head jerked around at the hint of venom in those words. “They're not going to mess with me. If they don't catch me with you they won't know a thing." God, she felt like she was arguing with a brick wall. Arthur met her scowl, staring down at her. Why did he have to be so damn stubborn right now? She shook her head, they both seemed determined to just lay down and die in the face of Hunters. Hell if she'd let these idiots do that, they were _her_ idiots, damnit. 

"Meet me behind the saloon, it'll take a bit to really scope out the town. Give me an hour," She checked her skirt in the mirror again, it really was a nice shade of blue she finally admitted to herself. "Both of you be there, ready to ride." The exit would have been more dramatic, she thought, if she had her own hat to jam on her head. But she didn't and if she waited, Arthur or John would stop her so she stormed out before either could open his big, dumb mouth. 

Outside, the new dress was lighter than the old dress. She felt more at ease in clean clothes and found it easier to hold herself better. Walking through town slowly, she tried to pretend she was simply out for a stroll. No one really looked at her funny or gave a second glance to her, just as she liked it. The Hunters were easier to pick out now, somehow. They stuck out from the regular crowd. She wondered what they told people. Bounty Hunters, of course, she realized as she eyed the bounty posters on the wall at the post office. She didn't want to risk being caught staring too hard at them but she couldn't help trying to see if Arthur or John was up on the wall. To her surprise, Arthur was up on the wall. It was actually a nice picture of him. Smirking, she pulled it off the wall and folded it up, tucking it into her pocket. She'd have to tease him with it after this was done with. 

Everywhere she walked, Hunters were waiting as if at posts like prison guards. Several groups were walking the streets, even the small back alleys. The bell over the church chimed out the hour, John and Arthur would be waiting for her. She trailed along the edges of town, catching the sound of hounds and men walking in the trees along edges of town. Doubt settled heavy in her chest, worry creeping along her skin enough to make her flex her fingers in an attempt to dispel it. 

Leaning up against the side of a building, she took a minute to focus her self, breathing in softly. Her mind went over a few scenarios that could get them out of town, trying to think of a way out. If they tried to walk out, not draw attention to themselves, the Hunters would recognize and catch them. If they tried to sneak out through the trees, the dogs would catch them. If they stayed in their hotel room, someone would eventually catch them and the Hunters were certainly better supplied than they were. They had to get out, at least to warn the pack of the Hunters. 

She peeked around the corner of the building, a group of Hunters was posted on the other corner with their dogs, between her and the saloon. Her nerves were getting to her, she knew. They had no reason to stop her, and even if they did she didn't have anything on her to make them think she was with werewolves. Her hand suddenly jumped to her shoulder, feeling the tender soreness there. Well, if they were so thorough as to undress her things would be going badly in a different direction. Thoughts raced through her head but she took a deep breath and stepped up onto the sidewalk. It occurred to her, as she walked that Arthur and John might suggest she leave without them. She almost laughed at the thought, death would be preferable. 

As she neared the group of Hunters, she realized that might end up being a choice she would have to make. The idea of having to be separated from her boys sent ice through her veins and she knew she’d never pick it. Arthur would argue, she knew but damn his need to self sacrifice. Setting her shoulders and back straight, she turned the corner and started walking towards the saloon. She couldn’t hide behind the general store any longer, her boys were waiting for her. The only solutions she could think of were bound to be bloody so she took a breath and tried to keep her steps even.


	5. Chapter 5

Adeline walked slowly, focusing on counting her steps. Seventeen, eighteen, nineteen. The Hunters were close now, they could grab her if they wanted to. If they thought to. She was clenching her fists tight enough they were shuddering against the fabric of her skirt. Forcing her hands to relax, she shifted to worrying the cotton between her fingers. John had picked out the soft blue, he seemed to be fond of the shade and she wondered absentmindedly if it was because her eyes were just about the same color. She'd never had anyone buy her a gift like that, even during holidays her own parents were as practical as she was. Presents were things she needed and clothing was utilitarian at best. The dress was, admittedly, reasonably practical but the color, it made some small part of her exceedingly happy that he'd picked it out for her. 

The hunters hadn't even looked up at her as she walked past. They were all dressed very snappy, bowler hats and ties. Maybe a bit out of place in such a small, out of the way town but it made them easy to pick out. Stuck out hard, almost as if they wanted to be noticeable. One of their bloodhounds had raised its head, droopy eyes following her steps. Twenty five, twenty six, twenty seven, twenty eight. The corner building was nearing, then across the street to the saloon.

"Miss!" A call came from behind her. Swallowing the gasp she wanted to make and turning, she put on her professional smile and made herself stand at attention. One of the hunters, this one wore a red bandana at his throat, stepped closer. He gave her an easy smile, the flicker of affinity across his face as looked her over. 

"Miss," he continued. "we're looking for a couple of outlaws. Have you seen these men?" He handed her an old photograph. Arthur and John were sitting on the porch of a saloon, their guns held out like they were showing them off. John didn't have any scars yet, it must be an old picture. Her fingers itched to keep it but she took the time to look them over, slowly shaking her head. 

"No, sir." She leaned in heavy on the professional deference, thinking it wise. It was easy to slip back into her shop voice. "Are they very dangerous?" Her eyes darted up to his face, trying to sound younger than she was. The Hunter was younger than her, maybe new to the group and smiled at her a little too easily. There was no need to fake a flash of fear through her eyes. 

"Nothing we can't handle." The hunter said, smirking as he motioned over his shoulder to the others. "If you see either of them, you come tell me okay? Don't approach them." She nodded solemnly. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a business card and handed it to her. Adeline looked it over as if she would really use the information later.

PINKERTON DETECTIVE AGENCY  
Agent Sanford

How very official sounding. At least she had a name for what these men were. Clever of them then, to be able to call anyone an 'outlaw' and then hunt them down.

“Thank you, Agent Sanford. I will ask for you if I see anything.” She smiled at him, swallowing a bit, nervous with her charade. He gave her an honest smile before returning to his friends. Turning back towards her goal, she took a long breath and let it out slowly, shaking. She could hear the other agents making fun of him, joking. How dare they be so at ease. It would have given her so much pleasure to slap one of them. Instead she slipped the card into her pocket. The fool boy had seemed a little smitten with her, certainly she could use that later if she had to. How far was she willing to go to keep her men safe, she asked herself. As far as I have to, her heart answered without hesitation.

At the saloon, she turned to walk past the front, out of eye sight of the Hunters, before turning around the corner to the back of it. Hands wrapped around her, one heavy palm covering her mouth to muffle the shriek she gave as she was jerked off her feet behind cover. Her hands flew to the massive hand, scratching at the fingers to free herself. When her eyes caught Arthur's he let go of her and Adeline immediately jerked his hat off his head to smack him with a couple of times.

"Don't scare me like that!" She hissed in a hoarse whisper, shoving his hat into his arms. He raised his hands in surrender, shrugging an apology before looking at her expectantly. John crouched just behind him. They both stayed silent as she gathered herself. Taking a breath, she shook her head. 

"It's not good. They have all the roads out blocked and patrols through the surrounding woods." Feeling hopeless, she leaned back hard against the clapboard of the saloon. "They've got an old picture of you, so maybe John could get away with it." It was an attempt at a joke and John gave a sarcastic laugh from the otherside of Arthur. 

"What do we do?" Her breath slowly evened out as she asked. She was out of ideas. Arthur looked away from her, thinking hard. After a minute, he whistled. Old Boy and Buckshot trotted up, just outside the fence of the saloon back yard. Grabbing her hand, he dragged Adeline over to the horses, John following close behind. 

John mounted up first and Arthur went to help Adeline, his hands on her waist. Sensing something was off, she stopped him, looking into his eyes. Regret, all he felt was regret, heavy and dragging. Her brows knitted in worry as she tried to find an answer in his face. For a moment, he went still, letting her look at him. Then his hands moved to cup her face, pressing a bruising kiss to her lips. He stole her breath, holding her there until she thought she'd faint. This time he didn't wait for her, grabbing her waist and nearly throwing her onto the back of Old Boy. John was watching, he knew what Arthur was doing and Adeline was starting to suspect. Leaning down to him, he grabbed Arthur by the hair, Arthur returning the movement and taking a rough kiss from John as well. 

"Take care of her." He snarled at John, his eyes moving behind him as he straightened in the saddle. He pointed to her as walked to his horse. "And get him home, Lamb." She wanted to tell him no, stop, think of a different plan but he swung up into the saddle and spurred Buckshot into a gallop, leaving not time for argument. The Tennessee Walker sprang forward, eating up the dirt as it raced down the main drag of town. He whooped as he rode, firing a gun into the air, leaving no one’s attention behind. Shots rang out, dogs howled, a cacophony of sound filled the town as the Hunters chased behind Arthur. Clinging tight to John, Adeline pressed her face against his back, wishing this wasn't happening. John gave a cluck and began walking slowly out of town in the opposite direction. They didn't speak as they road. Adeline couldn’t breathe. 

It was tantalizingly close, a clear path out of town. A few more blocks and they'd be free to start worrying about Arthur. He hadn't been shot, she could feel that much. The edge of town was visible now and John clucked again, picking up the pace to a trot that made her hold his waist tighter. One of his hands slipped to cover hers, rubbing his thumb against the skin reassuringly. Both were tense, fighting the rise of panic. They were so close, the train station was just there. Then out of nowhere a bullet whizzed past Adeline's head close enough she felt her hair move with it. John didn't wait for another warning, he kicked Old Boy into a gallop and they raced away as fast as they could. She held on for dear life as she leaned in close with John, trying to make herself as small as possible. Shots rang out and she saw the trunk of a tree shatter into splinters as a bullet missed them by less than a foot. Something possessed her, anger replacing her fear made her hand move to the revolver in the holster at John's hip. Twisting on the bouncing flanks, Adeline leveled the gun behind her, not really aiming. Pulling the trigger nearly sent the powerful handgun flying out of her hand but she held tight and braced her arm better the second time. She struggled to remember the lesson Arthur had given her the previous day. Not that it mattered, riding on a horse, clinging to John, she’d never hit anything. 

A horse chasing after them stumbled, tripping to the ground and sending its rider flying through the air. It gave her a little pleasure to know she'd hit _something_ but it was short lived when John gave a swallowed cry of pain. A sharp, burning pain stabbed into her shoulder, fading quickly away. Almost dropping the gun from the surprise of it, she turned to see a hole bloom red on John's shoulder, inches from her head. Holstering the pistol, she reached around his chest and felt a similarly slick hole on the other side. Pressing her hand against the front of it, she tried her best to offer any amount of pressure to keep him from bleeding out. 

The gunshots quieted down as Old Boy ate up the ground, the terrified horse running more on fear than anything else, his ears pinned flat back and hoofbeats wild. Once they were miles from town, John shushed the horse, pulling him back to a more reasonable jog along the road. 

"Addy, you okay?" His voice was pained, tense and hoarse and he was leaning forward hard. 

"I'm fine, you're not." Wrapping her arms around his waist and chest, she tried to pull him upright. He was too heavy for her. If he couldn't stay in the saddle they were in trouble. Panic made her breath come fast and she shoved it back, focusing on keeping John in the saddle in front of her. 

"I'll be fine, as long as you are." His breath was labored and heavy. "We're close to the pack, Old Boy can get us there if he needs to." 

"Why would he need to?" She already knew the answer but she wasn't going to admit it. "John, why would he need to?" He didn't respond, only grabbed one of her hands from around his waist and shoved the reins into it, closing her fingers around the leather. 

"Let him have his head." He coughed out, jerking her hand forward to put slack in the reins. He was tilting to the side and it took all of Adeline's strength to balance him in the saddle in front of her. Keeping Old Boy on the trail was mostly a lost cause and she let the beast run where it thought best, as long as it was away from the town. Her heart was up in her throat and the way John was trying to talk but failing was only making it harder to breathe. 

"Please don't pass out. You’ve got to stay in the seat, please." She begged him, feeling him attempt to right himself. At least he could still hear her. The front of her dress was quickly soaked with his blood,warm as she pressed against him. She kept one arm wrapped around him as tightly as she could manage while holding the reins in a death grip in her other hand. Suddenly Old Boy jerked sharply to the side, taking a nearly invisible path through rough undergrowth and trees that ripped at her dress and scratched her legs. The reins were snatched out of her hand as the horse threw it’s head and she had no hope of gathering them back. Both arms were around John now she felt him listing once again, his muscles going lax as he started to fade out. 

"No, no, John stay awake. John." Fear gripped her as he stopped responding to her. A voice called out, angry and dangerous, demanding to know who she was. 

"Please help me!" Her voice shook a little too much and she swallowed hard as the horse slowed to a trot, coming to a stop as it broke through the trees into a camp that she hadn't been able to see through the woods. Guns were drawn and pointed at her. A crowd gathered, every single person glaring at her as if they would rip her apart with their teeth. And maybe they would. One man, barrel chested with long black hair knotted behind his head, reached up to take John from her. She clung to John until he was pulled out of the saddle, away from her. A different man, straw yellow hair and a long mustache grinned as he grabbed Adeline by her skirts and threw her to the ground hard enough to knock the breath out of her. He grabbed her wrists, wrenching her arms behind her back as he dragged her to her feet. A man, tall and finely dressed, stepped through the small crowd with a pistol pointed at the ground, snarling at her. 

“Who the hell are you?” He growled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully these last two chapters don’t come off as sloppy.


End file.
